Traumatic brain injuries like concussions lead to visual dysfunction. Prolonged symptoms of visual dysfunction after a head injury are called post concussion vision syndrome (PCVS). Thankfully, neuro-optometric rehab can restore pathways in the eye-brain link and reduce post-concussion vision syndrome symptoms.
Read on to understand more about post-concussion vision syndrome.
Post-Traumatic Vision Syndrome Defined
Trauma to the brain’s cortex interferes with functioning autonomic and central nervous systems. This affects the sensory-motor feedback loop and visual process. Generally, a healthy person has two aspects of vision that interact for a clear vision: peripheral and central vision. Those with PTVS can’t connect the two systems properly. This leads to visual dysfunctions.
Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Vision Syndrome
You’re likely to experience some vision issues when suffering from PCVS. These include:
Blurry vision
This is due to the damage to the eyes or their ability to convey information to the brain effectively.
Light Sensitivity
A damaged vision system means a weaker brain-eye connection which eventually reduces the ability to process incoming stimuli. Plus, this causes increased sensitivity to more light.
Double Vision
A concussion affects your eyes’ ability to function collaboratively. Simply, your brain can’t combine two images effectively, leading to double vision.
Eye Fatigue or Strain
An improperly functioning vision system requires more effort to see. This causes eye fatigue, strain, and pain.
Headaches
The headaches caused by post-trauma vision syndrome are associated with reading, screens, and other situations with high levels of visual stimuli.
Dizziness
The vision system helps the body properly maintain balance and coordinate movement. PCVS impedes the functioning of the vision system, leading to a lack of balance.
Difficulty Reading
Issues with eye-tracking and their ability to function correctly can make reading challenging. Post-concussion vision syndrome can also decrease reading comprehension because the brain isn’t correctly processing the received information via the eyes.
Typically, PCVS can impact one or several areas of the vision system, hampering your ability to focus clearly and comprehend objects you see.
Assessment
An optometric assessment involves testing visual acuity and conducting an intensive eye health exam. It would help if you had an optometric evaluation after a concussion injury, particularly when experiencing visual dysfunction symptoms. However, a standard complete eye exam doesn’t provide detailed information about the complexities of a malfunctioning optical system linked to a concussion.
An intensive neuro-optometric assessment investigates post-trauma vision symptoms and includes:
- Eye scanning and tracking analysis
- Visual-motor and visual-vestibular integration function
- Peripheral awareness
- Eye alignment and vergence function
- Focusing ability, flexibility, and stamina
Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehab Defined
Neuro-optometric vision rehab helps treat visual problems caused by concussions, brain injuries, or developmental delays.
Vision dysfunction is often not recognized during primary brain injury treatment. A regular eye check-up might not show how your visual system, eyes functioning, and visual processing have been ruined. Neuro-optometric rehab therapy is a non-invasive regimen for:
- Integration of vision with other senses
- Visual-motor disorders
- Visual information processing
- Rehabilitate vision
The treatment option typically involves:
- Optical prisms
- Therapeutic lenses
- A personalized therapy program
As a part of neuro-optometric rehab, vision therapy for concussion is customized to redevelop brain-eye communication for a better visual system and improves your life quality. A neuro-optometric evaluation involves intensive testing that analyzes the communication between the visual system and the brain and how deficits affect your everyday tasks like balance, movement, reading, etc. So, after a concussion, ensure your visual function is checked correctly if you’ve got an issue.
How Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehab Treats Post-Concussion
A head injury can cause one to experience some visual issues. In some situations, the eyes might be healthy but not relaying information to the brain appropriately. You’ve to consult an experienced doctor who can recognize the signs of PCVS and treat them. The brain controls the eyes, so when you suffer from any brain injury, whether it’s a concussion, car accident, or stroke, the functioning of the visual system can be impacted.
So, neuro-optometric vision rehab helps improve your vision and treat post-concussion symptoms.
Summary
Post-traumatic vision syndrome refers to vision issues caused after traumatic brain injury. It might present as several symptoms that may not be too severe initially. If untreated, these issues can gradually worsen and become challenging to treat. Consult your doctor for vision therapy for concussions if you observe symptoms of visual dysfunction.
